Smoke Filled Room
by Ms.Erin-McGonagall
Summary: It's been years since Edward left her in the woods and never came back. Bella has grown up and moved on to University, after all this time, she runs into one of the Cullens while on a night out with friends. What will come of their chance meeting? Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

*I do not own any of the Twilight Characters

It had been years since Edward had left her standing in the forest, the pain of his leaving still haunting her from time to time. She at times wondered if it was truly Edward's leaving that caused her such pain or if it was due to the loss of the entire family. Carlisle and his beautiful wife Esme, who had become close to Bella, offering her distraction whenever she had been through a rough day, or Alice, Emmett and Jasper who had become like siblings to her, Rosalie hadn't liked Bella but she too had occasionally joined in on family games when Bella was present. Bella sighed as she stood out on the balcony of her college dorm, enjoying the cool breeze that brushed against her bare arms, for what seemed like the millionth time she looked up at the setting sun, wishing that she could forget the Cullens and meet someone who truly cared about her, but alas the draw she felt to the family still remained, forcing her to close herself off to the many advances of the attractive men throughout the campus.

Tonight she was going out with a few friends she had met in class, it was her 21st birthday and they felt as though she needed to get out and loosen up a bit.

"Hey! Bella! Let's go!" Liz came up behind her, pulling on her hand, "They've got an Uber coming. It should be here in like 5 and your shoes? Not okay."

Liz handed her a pair of black heels.

"You know I can't wear these." Bella laughed, Liz had been her roommate since her first year at the University of Washington. Not only had Liz helped her come out of the shell she had built after Edwards leaving but also she had become one of Bella's closest friends.

Liz just stood there, between Bella and the door, waiting with her hand out in front of her, "shoes." Bella quickly slipped off her converse and put the heels on, "If I die tonight, I'll be sure to haunt you" she slid her converse into Liz's hands.

"Now we can go!" Liz laughed, leading the way out of their dorm and to the elevators.

Bella tugged the edge of the bright red dress Liz had loaned her down her thigh, trying to cover as much as possible. How Liz managed to wear dresses like these she would never understand.

They met the rest of the group down stairs, Anne from Bella's Biology class had a black lace skirt on with a red halter top, her blonde curly hair bouncing around her shoulders as she ran up to hug Bella. "Happy Birthday" she exclaimed. The other girls weren't quite as hands on, wishing Bella a happy birthday without jumping on her. Marissa and Hannah, both from Biology like Anne, were both dressed in short black dresses with open sides, having bought them together for a Frat party they had attended earlier in the year.

'Lets get going! ' Liz wrapped her arms around her waist, rushing over to meet the Uber driver as the Black Mercedes pulled up to the curb.

The cab ride to Capital Hill was short, delivering the girls outside of a popular bar and wishing Bella a happy birthday. The bar they were visiting, Garage, was known for bowling, pool and dancing. A compromise as Bella had refused to go somewhere she would be stuck dancing with a guy she'd never met.

Handing their IDs to the bouncer, the girls funneled into the club, the haze of Cigarette smoke mixing with the sweet tang of alcohol in the air. Hannah, who had been to the bar several times prior, piped up "Lets bowl first!" Liz and Anne nodded in agreement as they drug Bella over to the counter to pick up their balls and rent a lane.

Two games and about six drinks each later, they all felt rather silly, taking turns dancing and trying to get the bowling ball down the lane.

Bella stood up, walking over to the bar to order another drink. That's when she saw him. Standing at the bar, his golden hair and pale skin making him easily recognizable in the crowd.

"Carlisle?" Bella whispered, instantly his head turned to her, excusing himself from the bartenders conversation.

"Bella" he breathed. The young woman that stood before him had changed so much from the sweet and clumsy girl he had known in Forks. She approached him, her red dress hugging her body to accentuate the curve of her hips. Carlisle couldn't believe it "you're alive."

Bella came to a dead halt, "what do you mean I'm alive?" she felt her body grow cold, had Edward been out to kill her that night in the woods? Was she supposed to be dead?

"Alice saw you jump off a cliff Bella! She saw your death. When Edward called your father Jacob said the he was planning a Funeral." Bella saw the sincerity in Carlisle's eyes, her emotions beginning to create a bit of turmoil in her stomach, the alcohol she had consumed making her head spin. "Bella what happened?"

"You left. That's what happened." She muttered, turning to go back to her friends. Her foot slipped, the high heels she had been wearing failing to support her as she spun.

Carlisle's arms shot out to catch her, saving her from the floor and placing her carefully back on her feet, his cold hands reaching down to check her ankle.

"I'm fine." She pulled her ankle from his grip, walking back towards her friends.

"Bella please, let me explain." He tried to follow her, "You've done enough, and I just want you to stay away." She replied, he slipped a small note into her hand before nodding to her and quietly backing away, allowing her to leave him behind.

She returned to her friends who she thought had barely noticed her absence, all far too drunk to take note of how quickly time was passing. Before long they decided to call it a night, grabbing what belongings they brought with them they all wandered their way outside, the Uber having arrived a moment before them.

After goodnights had been said and everyone had made it safely back to their dorms, Liz and Bella sat up in their beds, "So, who was the guy at the Bar?" Liz questioned, her eyes carefully regarding the note Bella still held tightly in her hand.

"An old friend" she replied quietly, "he wants to talk"

Liz smirked, "He was definitely worth talking to"

Bella's response was a pillow thrown at Liz's head as she opened the note to find an address to an apartment near Pikes Place Market.

"You're going right" Liz jumped on to Bella's bed, snatching the note from her hands, "If you don't, I will. Your mystery man can do more than talk with me"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll go!" While Liz could be a bit much to handle, Bella decided that she would rather let Carlisle explain before she told Liz that he was her Ex's dad. Knowing Liz, she would probably show up at his doorstep with a baseball bat in attempt to make him pay for what they had put Bella through.

Now the question that remained, what was there left to say? And where were the rest of the Cullens?


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you all so much for the reviews and follows! I hope you enjoy the next chapter! Xoxo

Chapter 2 –

The next few days were hard for Bella, her thoughts kept flashing back to the bar, to the feel of Carlisle's cold touch against her skin. Had he really been there? The note carefully tucked away in her desk drawer confirmed that he had indeed been at the bar, but why had he been there? It's not like he can drink and his eyes were still golden so he hadn't been preying on humans. Not that she thought he ever would, he was far to compassionate about preserving human life to ever consider taking one. Had he followed her? That too was not possible if he thought her dead. And why would he have been following her? Surely one of the others would have been far more likely to be there, had they been watching her. She knew she would end up meeting Carlisle, her curiosity had been bubbling up despite how much it pained her to think about them. She sat her laptop back down on her desk. There was no way she was going to be able to write this paper before seeing Carlisle. There were simply too many unanswered questions running through her mind and not one of them would help her with her term paper. Sighing she dug the note out from the back of her drawer and scribbled out a note to Liz on their whiteboard, saying she would try to be home around 8 so that they could still go over to Anne's room for their regular Friday night movie date. Grabbing a scarf and her bus pass she walked out of the room, determined to put her mind at ease.

The trip down to Pikes Place was easy, the bus system in Seattle was extraordinarily simple to use and the busses ran quite frequently. When she arrived at the bottom of Madison Tower she hesitated, should she really go through with this? What if Edward was waiting for her? Would she be able to resist him if he asked her to come back? No. She straightened her back and took a deep breath. What Edward did was unforgivable. She could never take him back after all this time. She shook her head and reached out, pushing the doors to the tower open.

She quickly found the elevators and stepped inside, pressing the button for the 24th floor. Of course Carlisle would be in the penthouse, the Cullens certainly had a taste for the best, and the mountains of wealth they sat upon enabled them to do as they pleased. She grew nervous as the elevator chimed and a gentle voice announced the floor they were stopping at. Stepping off the elevator, she looked down the hallway she now stood in at two doors, one led to the north side of the tower and the other the south. Carlisle's address indicated the south room so she quickly raised her hand to knock on the door, afraid to think for too long and allow herself to turn around.

Before her hand made it back down to her side, the door opened and there he was. Carlisle stood before her, dressed in jeans and a cashmere sweater, his feet bare against the hard wood floor of the Condo. "Bella, I'm so glad you decided to come" he reached out, gesturing for her to come inside "please make yourself at home."

She walked past him, "Who else is here with you?" she slid her shoes off and carefully places them beside the door, taking the beautiful décor in. It was a gorgeous home, and she shuddered when she thought of how much something like this could have cost being in downtown Seattle.

"It's just me at the moment, though Alice and Jasper will be here later tonight." He replied, leading her into the living room. His living room looked like something out of a Crate and Barrel ad, the couch and coffee table both perfectly positioned over a light brown fur carpet, a small candle holder was sitting on the table, the flames inside casting a glow on the files that were laying on the table. "Please, have a seat. Would you like anything to drink?" Carlisle slid the files off the table and into a bag that was nestled against the base of the couch. Medical files Bella assumed, as she knew he would have continued to work as a doctor after leaving forks. She had learned from Esme that Carlisle has been working in hospitals from the time he first learned to control his thirst for human blood.

"I could use a cup of water" she replied, "Thanks" she sat down on the sofa and seconds later Carlisle handed her a glass, taking a seat on the couch beside her. He looked troubled, his eyes though as golden as ever, seemed to be clouded with emotion.

From the moment that Bella had walked in, he knew that she was guarded, everything from the way she set her shoes down beside the door to the way she observed the large room in front of her told him that she was uncertain and afraid of what the day could hold. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and tell her how deeply sorry he was that they had left with Edward. How much he regretted his decision and how much that decision had cost him and the rest of the Cullen Family. Knowing she wouldn't respond to him well should he choose to bring up Edward right when she arrived he instead chose to try and learn more about her.

"What has College been like?" he questioned, watching as she took a long sip of the water he had just handed her.

"It's been great so far, I've made quite a few new friends. I'm studying Biology, hopefully I will be able to go into Veterinary School after my undergraduate degree is completed" She looked down at her hands. "What about you? Have you been in Seattle for long?"

"I've been here about a year, I'm working for Virginia Mason now, before that I was in Denali with some relatives. " She nodded as he spoke, commenting on how the big city was different from Forks and asking about his work at the hospital before asking about the rest of the family. He couldn't bring himself to look at her as he began to tell her about the last few years. "After we left, Edward was very difficult to be around, he was angry with us because we wanted to keep in contact with you and he wanted us to leave you alone. It was about a month later that Alice had her vision. She saw you jump from a cliff and after that her vision went black. She wasn't able to see your future beyond that day. Edward saw her thoughts and blamed himself. He felt that he had caused your death and needed to join you in the after life. He went to the Volturi but they refused to kill him, offering him a position within their guard. They have a woman, Chelsea, who is capable of creating bonds. With Edward feeling emotionally detached from us she was able to sway his alliance. He hasn't come home." Carlisle stopped for a moment, allowing Bella to process the information he had told her. "So Edward joined the Volturi?" she whispered, "What about the others?"

"After Edward left us the family was full of turmoil. Rosalie and Emmett decided to take some time to themselves and moved out to Maine. They visit occasionally but they don't like to get involved in conflict, not when it involves family. Alice and Jasper stay with me, Alice has been working for a fashion design company close to here and Jasper has been working with her, as devoted to her happiness as ever. Their room is just down the hall, filled with clothes of course." He laughed a little before his eyes glazed back over, "And Esme, my dear Esme, she couldn't take all of the fighting. I think she took Edward's leaving harder than the rest of us. She eventually left to live with Rosalie and Emmett; she left her ring and family crest on the table with a note asking me not to contact her again. She's been teaching at one of the elementary schools out there and from what I've heard from Alice, is quite happy there." Had Carlisle been able to cry, Bella was certain he would have, the longing and sadness glimmered in his eyes.

"I thought Esme was your mate?" Bella questioned, reaching out to touch Carlisle's hand in what she hoped was a supportive gesture. "No, We were in love, but she was not my true mate, had that been the case it would have killed us to be separated like this. The pain of losing her is extraordinary but she and I will survive if that is what makes her happy." Carlisle's sad reply made Bella's heartache for him. To lose the entire family over her, had she really been the cause of these horrible events? Had she managed to destroy the entire family because she fell in love with Edward?

"Carlisle I'm so sorry. I..I didn't mean for this to happen. I loved Edward." Bella started stammering, feeling her chest tighten with fear of what the entire family must think of her. Carlisle quickly grabbed her hand "Bella this is not your fault. Esme and I had problems before this. Our family fell apart because we weren't strong enough any more, not because you were a part of it. You made our lives so much better, you brought us together and made us see how beautiful life can be."

Bella felt a rush of warmth in her cheeks, she knew he meant to reassure her with his words and they did, but she also found herself wondering if he could possibly mean more than just reassurance. Carlisle was an attractive man. No, she thought to herself. Just because I've been distanced for a while doesn't mean Carlisle would ever think of me like that, he lost his wife and family. It was at that moment that Jasper and Alice returned to the Condo.

"Bella!' Alice squealed, moving at her unnatural speed to pull Bella into her arms. "I've missed you so much! I know you're mad at us but I hope you'll forgive me. I really, really missed you."

At that, Jasper, Bella and Carlisle all laughed, Bella nodding that she could forgive Alice, after all, they had been through enough. "No leaving this time though, not without a goodbye." Bella looked at each of them, nodding their consent to the terms of her forgiveness.

"Good, now that we've got that sorted out, no more about the past." Carlisle stood up, "how about a board game?"

They played Monopoly until around 7 pm when Bella announced she had to head home. Carlisle offered to drive her, as they didn't want her taking the bus at night. With a quick hug from both Jasper and Alice, Bella followed Carlisle out the door and into the elevator. "Thank you for taking them back in so quickly" Carlisle broke the silence, looking over to Bella, "you have no idea how much that means to me."

Bella looked up at him "I could never stay mad at Alice, and you all sound like you've been through enough" They stepped off the elevator and silence consumed them once again. Bella noted that with Carlisle, silence wasn't uncomfortable. It was actually quite soothing. He drove her back to campus; breaking the silence only once to ask which dorm she lived in. When they pulled up in front of McMahon towers, Bella looked over to Carlisle "Thank you so much for being honest with me. I do hope that we can keep in contact" A small smile broke out on Carlisle's face. He replied, "I'd like that" and jotted his phone number down on a piece of paper he had in his center console. "Call me anytime and we can go out for lunch. I'm sure Alice would love to get your hands on your wardrobe as well." With a parting laugh Bella stepped out of the car and watched as he pulled away. She couldn't stop the smile on her lips as she made her way back into the dorms. While the evening hadn't gone as she had planned, she was grateful to have gotten a part of the Cullen family back. Maybe this would help her move past Edward and finally get some closure.


	3. Chapter 3

***Thank you guys so much for reading and reviewing! I am really sorry that it has taken me this long to get something together, let's just say its been a rough two weeks. My plan for this story is to post once a week. Until after Christmas season it mas be a little patchy but after that my work schedule should go back to normal Hope you enjoy this chapter even though it's a bit short***

Carlisle went to work the next day feeling refreshed. Maybe this new life in Seattle held some potential, he had established a connection with Bella and she had forgiven his family, accepting them back into her life without a second thought.

His mind wandered back to the previous evening, the nervous look on Bella's face as she entered his Condo. She had been wearing jeans with a simple grey pull over, the University emblem printed boldly across the front. She had such an effortless beauty to her, the way her hair fell around her shoulders, her small hands fidgeting in her lap in attempt to calm her nerves. He sighed, where was this coming from? He gave his head a small shake, trying to clear his mind as he walked through the halls of the hospital. It was a little after 5 am and the sun was just beginning to rise, the gentle light shining through from the windows of the patient rooms. He looked down at his cell phone, hopeful that Bella would call or text him. Nothing yet.

It was a week before he heard from her again.

Bella sat up on her bed. It had been a few days since she had seen the Cullens. Her term paper had finally been completed and turned in for grading. She looked down at the doodles on her notebook that sat rather awkwardly in her lap. She loved to doodle while she was thinking, it helped her process her thoughts but today she realized that she had been drawing the Cullen crest. She crumpled up the paper, tearing it from the notebook and tossing it into the recycle bin, the quiet sound of paper landing amongst other paper confirmed that she hadn't missed. She pulled out the small slip of paper with Carlisle's phone number on it, running her fingers over the numbers, her fingers detecting the slight ridges where the tip of the pen had pressed into the paper. She picked up her phone, typing a short greeting and hitting send before she could second-guess herself. His reply came almost immediately and she asked if he would be interested in going out for a game of bowling with her. As she waited for the response she felt her heart race, her thoughts drifting toward the man at the other end of the conversation. It had been a while since she had last seen him and she had changed a great deal in that time. She had dated a few times, learning what she did and didn't like in a partner. She couldn't keep herself from wondering what Carlisle would be like as a partner. She could almost feel his cool hands moving across her body, dancing against her skin and she pressed against him.

The sound of her roommate coming into the room startled her from her thoughts. Liz danced into the room cheerfully, jumping up on the bed beside Bella. "Guess what happened today!" She exclaimed, her eyes full of excitement.

Bella laughed and replied "Professor Smith came to class in a Monkey costume?" Liz just rolled her eyes, her excitement bubbling over. "No! Mark asked me out to dinner this Tuesday!"

Mark and Liz had been friends from the start of their freshman year at the University and they had obvious chemistry. Finally it sounded like he had worked up the courage to ask her out on a date. Bella congratulated Liz, sharing in her friend's excitement.

Bella and Carlisle set their date for Tuesday night as well, deciding to go back to the bar they had first seen each other. With Liz out of the room, Bella took the time to contemplate what she was going to wear for the date. Could she say date? She wasn't really sure what this was supposed to be but she knew she wanted to impress him. In front of her were three outfits, all matched with shoes and appropriate jewelry. Alice would have been proud, since she had moved to Seattle Bella had taken to shopping on the weekends as a way to get to know some of the girls in the dorm. She now had several date ready outfits, one a simple black dress with a lack back that matched well with red heels, it had been her go to for nights on the town. Now her question was if it would be too forward, should she wear something more conservative or go all out to tempt the man she was meeting tonight.

Eventually she chose to wear her black dress, finishing up her makeup she checked her phone, 6:15pm. She had 15 minutes before Carlisle would be outside her dorm waiting to pick her up. She sighed, pressing her hands against her forehead. Was she really ready to be around the Cullens again? Shaking her head she grabbed her bag, she couldn't deny the feeling that stirred inside of her when she thought of Carlisle, the gentle smile on his lips, his perfect golden eyes that shined with laughter. He was perfect, and she wanted to see how things would pan out between them.

She scribbled out a note to Liz, saying that she was going out and wouldn't be back until late that evening and walked put the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys! Sorry it's been forever. I know I definitely messed up the whole every week thing but it's been an exciting start to 2017! Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed and followed the story, you guys definitely make my day!

Here's chapter 4! Hope you enjoy!

Carlisle stood outside, casually leaning against the door of his Maserati. He could feel the cool wind brushing against the bare skin of his forearms; he had been hesitant when he put the clothes that Alice had set out for him on that morning. She had picked out a grey button up top with ¾ length sleeves and set it out along side a pair of dark wash jeans and a brown braided belt. He felt a bit over dressed for just bowling with a friend but alas Alice had never steered him wrong before.

Now he was standing outside of a dorm, watching as groups of students shuffled out of the towers, most of them discussing food or their classes from earlier that day. He smirked, so many young minds and all filled with the simplest of thoughts, food and when they get to go back to sleep.

He took a deep breath, Bella was near, and he was able to catch the slightest hint of her scent as she appeared in the doorway of the tower. She was stunning, her hair curled and pulled to the side by a simple clip. Her dress hung down just above her knees, hugging every curve of her body. His eyes flowed over her; he stopped and shook his head. He shouldn't look at her like this, she wasn't his to look at, for all he knew she could have a boyfriend or someone else in her life.

She smiled as she approached his car, "Is this new?"

"Alice and Jasper picked it out for me" Carlisle laughed, opening the door for Bella.

Bella relaxed against the seat of the car, grateful that Carlisle has already turned the heat on for her as the wind had a very crisp chill to it this evening. As Carlisle slid in to the driver's seat he looked over at her, "ready?" he asked. Bella nodded, smirking when she turned to glance out of the window and saw several students pointing to the car.

They arrived at the bar a few short minutes later and before she knew it, both she and Carlisle were two games of bowling in. "so, can vampires actually drink?" she whispered to him, brushing her lips against his ear in the process. She had been watching his drinks from the corner of her eye and hadn't quite determined just how they were disappearing. "Well alcohol can be absorbed by the blood in our bodies, it's the mixers that cause problems." He took the opportunity to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her to his side. In all honesty he had chosen to stick with the very basic whisky on the rocks, and he was beginning to feel a slight hum of the alcohol traveling through his body.

Bella's curiosity was sparked when she heard this, turning in his arms to face him she noticed his eyes had gone from their normal golden color to a beautiful hazelnut color. She'd never seen anything like it before.

About thirty minutes later they decided they had lost interest in bowling and set out in search of another bar. Stepping outside they were immediately greeted by the downpour of rain that was signature to Seattle. Laughing they took off at a slight jog, Carlisle keeping his hand near Bella's waist so that he would catch her in the event of her slipping. They ducked into another bar after traveling around three blocks, the rain having soaked through a great deal of their clothing.

"Via Tribunali", Carlisle read, the name of the bar was painted artfully behind the counter. They could smell the welcoming aroma of fresh pizza as they sat down. "What'll it be tonight folks" the bartender walked up, smiling as they looked around, "Fresh wood oven pizza, great drinks and the best gelato in Seattle on special tonight."

Carlisle ordered a whisky and Bella asked for a daiquiri along with a margarita pizza. Before long they were laughing with the bartender and sharing stories of their times in the city, from bad taxi rides to interesting art work they all had fond memories of their first weeks in the city.

Sometime around midnight, Bella began to yawn, giving Carlisle the signal that it was time for them to make their way back to his car. The rain had tapered off so they walked slowly, enjoying the time together. Bella gently leaned into him as they walked, his arm resuming its place at her side to keep her upright.

A short while later they arrived at the towers Bella had made her home, she looked over at Carlisle, "Thank you for tonight, it was the most fun I've had in a long time" she leaned over, placing a small kiss against the side of his cheek.

"We will have to do it again before long" He replied, his body was tingling from the feel of her lips against his skin. He watched as she walked back inside of the dorm and wished that he could have followed her. He didn't know why but for some reason he felt a pull towards her, almost as if they were magnets placed just close enough to pull each other in.


	5. Chapter 5

* Sorry for the long time between updates, unfortunately my school schedule is rather hectic and its unlikely to get much better. Alas, only 1.5 years to go! Thank you to everyone who is still following this story, I appreciate all of you!

* As an additional note, the style of writing I have been doing over the past year and a half is significantly different from that which I have been using previously. I apologize is this creates an odd transition.

Chapter 5

It had been almost a week when Carlisle's phone vibrated softly against his desk. He picked it up and smiled, Bella had sent a simple text asking how his week had been. It wasn't necessarily the content of the text but the memory of their last night together, the sound of her laugh and the pure joy that had shone on her face when they had been in the bar together.

He replied with a short message telling her that his week had been rather boring without her to keep him company and asked if she had anything exciting to tell of her adventure throughout the last six days.

Her reply came almost immediately, telling him of the dreadful amounts of homework that left her unable to have any fun stories. A smirk crept onto Carlisle's face as he typed out a quick response, asking her if she needed him to come over and distract her from her studies.

He paused for a moment after he had pressed send. Should he have been that forward? Bella was a student, and really should be focusing on her studies. Not to mention she had previously dated a member of his coven and he wasn't certain that she would want anything even remotely close to what he was currently thinking of. His mind started to wander, imagining all of the ways he could keep those beautiful eyes off of her books and on him. Another buzz from his cell phone recaptured his attention and he was not disappointed by her response.

' _What would you do to distract me?'_

He began to type, but quickly erased his words and replaced them with _'How about a walk? You can choose the place.'_ He didn't want to press her and a long walk would give him another chance to hear that beautiful laugh as well as give them time together. The population of the area she chose to go to would also be useful in his determining whether she truly wanted to be alone with him or not.

She texted back a few moments later with the name of a trail Carlisle was unfamiliar with. Upon a quick google search he was pleased to see that it was a small nature trail in West Seattle that looped back along a small public garden and then down by the waterfront. He offered to pick her up that afternoon.

A few hours later, he pulled up outside of Bella's dorm, having changed out of his work clothes, he now wore a light brown pair of shorts and a deep royal blue polo.

He spotted Bella walking out of the hall and stepped out of the car, waving to catch her attention.

He held the door for her as she slid into the passenger seat, pulling her seat buckle over herself. Quickly resuming his position in the driver's seat, he set the navigation to the park where the trail started and slipped into an easy conversation with Bella about her homework over the past week.

When they reached the park, Carlisle helped Bella step out of the car, and she gently placed her hand on his arm. She felt the smooth ripple of his muscle under her fingers as he moved to place his keys back in his pocket.

"Shall we?" He smiled down at her, a breeze of sadness washed over him, Esme looked at him like that once. Back when they were only just building their relationship. Even just after her transformation, Esme was a gentle soul, but he had destroyed that, he was so desperate for someone in his life that rather than just seeking her friendship and companionship as he had with Edward, he pushed for more. They had been happy enough throughout the years, but with Edward's defection from the family, they had been unable to keep themselves in that mind set. He could only hope that she was able to find her soul mate and that one day, he could find his.

He looked at Bella's hand, nestled in the crook of his arm. This would be alright. Even if she never wanted anything more than this, he would let her determine where their paths went.

The pair quickly fell into a peaceful silence, looking out over the water as the trail wove between trees lining the waterfront. Seattle truly was a beautiful place, full of natural wonder. The trees swayed in the breeze, the crisp smell of the leaves mixing with the bitterness of the ocean water. It was a perfect day.

A few hours later, they returned to the car, both smiling and feeling at peace. Carlisle drove Bella back to campus. They sat outside of the dorms for a few minutes, Carlisle placed his hand on the gear shift, hoping to leave an open offer for Bella's hand to brush against his if she wanted to.

She turned and smiled at him, thanking him for taking her out and away from her mountains of homework. She leaned over the center console, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug.

"Let me know how your homework goes and maybe we can go out again after you've finished?" Carlisle asked, smiling at her as she opened her door to step out of his car.

"Yeah! Its due this Friday so maybe this weekend?" She replied, "I'll text you. Thanks again Carlisle, it was great to get out for a bit." She closed his door and turned to walk into the dorm. She wasn't certain about what was happening, he had seemed so forward and interested in her the last time they met, she had even begun to wonder if there was a spark forming between them. But today he had been quiet, letting her do most of the talking and had shown no sign of even wanting to say goodbye to her when he dropped her off. Maybe he regretted going out? She wondered, hitting the button for her floor a bit more aggressively than she had intended, catching a few side glances from others boarding.

As Carlisle drove away, he looked down at his hand, still resting on the gear shift. Maybe he was reading too much into this, maybe he had pushed too hard to see something he wanted in Bella, rather than what she really wanted. From today, he would let her have complete control, he was not going to ruin another relationship as he had done with Esme. Though, with Esme he had been lonely, he wasn't sure what the strange pull deep within his chest meant, but he did know one thing, it felt must lighter when Bella was nearby.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you all for continuing to read this. You're amazing! - FYI this chapter has a Lemon, it is labeled at both beginning and end it you would prefer not to read it.**

 **Chapter 6**

For the next few days, both cellphones were quiet, Carlisle working long days at the hospital, and Bella working through her homework. Each of them waiting for their phone to ring.

Finally, on Thursday morning, Bella's phone vibrated against her desk. She jumped for it, a little glimmer of hope telling her that it was Carlisle wanting to see her. It wasn't instead it was a message from Liz, telling her that she was late to her Chemistry class.

Muttering every expletive she knew, she threw on sweats and ran out her door.

She slid into the back of her classroom, the room had several hundred people in it, so it wasn't as though the professor even knew who she was, but she still felt a bit of anxiety walking in to class late. Liz smirked at her. "Enjoying your dreams?" she whispered, pushing a second coffee over to Bella's desk.

"Shove it" Bella replied, her face flushing as she though back to the dream that Liz's text had taken her from.

"Ooh, lover boy make a special appearance?" Liz snickered. Bella only flushed a deeper shade of red, putting her head down on her notes.

Throughout the rest of class, Bella's mind kept wandering back to her dream.

-Dream contains lemons, please skip to the next section if you're not interested-

She had been at Carlisle's condo, standing by the window, looking out over the Puget Sound as the sun was setting. Carlisle walked up behind her, his hands resting gently on her hips as his lips found her neck.

A soft moan escaped her lips as his teeth brushed against her earlobe, sending a shockwave of pleasure down her back. His hands began to wander, tracing the edge of her jeans before traveling up to gently cup her breasts. His skilled fingers knowing just how much pressure to use to elicit a whimper from her as she pressed herself against him, feeling his eagerness against her butt.

He turned her around, pressing her against the cold windows as he began to slowly unbutton her shirt, taking the time to kiss every inch of new skin exposed to the brisk air in the condo. His lips were so soft, nothing like she had anticipated, but still cold like the rest of his body, balancing the heat radiating from her body.

Finally, he reached her jeans. His eyes traveled up her body, locking with hers, "yes," she whispered. His eyes sparkled with lust as he turned his focus back to her jeans, making quick work of the button and zipper, but taking a nearly painful amount of time to remove them from her body, again kissing every new inch of skin exposed.

Her stomach felt like it was on fire, she wanted him. She pulled him back up to her, pressing her lips against his as she began to unbutton his shirt, tossing it to the round beside hers.

Her fingers slid down his chest, feeling the gentle definition of his muscles beneath them. The found the button to his jeans, tossing them to the side, she pulled him towards the couch. "Ah, not here" he whispered, picking her up, he walked quickly to the bedroom, laying her flat against the soft silk sheets.

She looked down at him as he slid between her legs and couldn't hold back the moan that escaped her lips as his tongue met her clit. It was like an explosion in her head, her body shivering with need. He slid two fingers into her folds, the cold of his skin only increasing the pleasure radiating through her.

"I need you" she whispered, her hands gripping the sheets. He didn't respond, only adding a third finger. The pressure inside of her stomach began to build, overwhelming her senses in pleasure. She tensed as the orgasm crashed through her body, Carlisle's fingers continued to move gently, easing her back down as he moved up to kiss her. "Ready for me to fuck you?" he whispered, smiling at her as she caught her breath. She nodded.

He lined himself up with her entrance, gently pressing his member into her. They both moaned as he began to move. It was nothing like she had ever experienced before. Her body responded, the heat in her stomach building again as he began to increase their pace, both moving in perfect synchronization.

\- End of lemon -

The rustle of bags around her shook her from her thoughts. Class was over, and Liz was staring at her. "Can I help you?" Bella asked, taking a sip of the now room temperature coffee, "what do I owe you for the coffee?"

"You can just buy next time" Liz laughed, "and you can help me by packing up so we can go get lunch."

The girls grabbed their things and headed out of the classroom, walking down to Red Square, where the campus food trucks were parked.

"You know, you should text this guy if you are thinking about him this much" Liz looked over her burger as Bella who was holding her phone in one hand and a hot dog in the other.

"I just don't know if he's interested, you know?" Bella replied, looking up at her friend "I just can't tell for sure."

"Well, I guess that means a double date then. You invite your boy toy, and I will bring Mark. Then I can help you figure out what this guy really wants." Liz snatched Bella's phone from her hands. "I'll even type out the text for you."

"Liz!" Bella jumped up to grab her phone, but Liz had already started moving, she was faster than Bella, and typed the message out to Carlisle, hitting send before letting Bella recapture her phone.

Bella opened her phone to read the message that Liz had sent.

' _Don't want to be a third wheel tomorrow. Want to be my knight in shining armor? I need a date for breakfast tomorrow morning. xo.'_

"Did you have to put the xo in there?" Bella whined, slumping back down by her hot dog. Secretly, she was hoping her would send it back, but she didn't want to make the first move.

"Yea, otherwise, he won't catch on. But this way, he will atleast know you like him enough for an xo." Liz shoved a fry into her mouth, "besides, what's the worst that could happen? From the sounds of your dream last night, it's worth the risk."

Bella just laughed. Liz could be a pain, but usually her heart was in the right place, and if there was anyone who was going to be able to figure out what Bella needed to do next, it was her.


End file.
